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What should Tiger, Rory and Fallon talk about?

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As you may have heard, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will be appearing together on the August 18 episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Many elements here are familiar: Woods and McIlroy have interviewed together before and both guest-starred on Fallon’s late night show in the past (Woods in 2011, McIlroy in 2012).

But this appearance remains a first. It’s the duo’s initial joint interview on Fallon, or any comedy show for that matter, which raises the question: What should we expect from this talk?

All three men love some degree of back and forth. And it doesn’t take long for it to get vulgar. If Fallon comes out firing, the discussion will be quite entertaining real quick.

In that vein, we look into the topics Fallon could bring up to incite relentless teasing. Fallon also loves to play games with his celebrity guests, with some contests related to the star’s talent while others are more tangential. This portion of the show could also be a goldmine of laughter with the Woods/McIlroy duo at hand.

Maybe our ideas aren’t what Jimmy has in mind, but they create the best opportunity for a hilarious sit down with golf’s two leading figures.

Without further ado, here they are:

Remind Rory that he’s still short of Tiger’s pace

RoryFallon

McIlroy has been far and away the world’s best golfer since May and appears to be the game’s next “great.” Yet even his four major championships at age 25 falls below Woods, who held six such titles at the same point.

In other words, Fallon can say, “Rory, according to this comparison, you’re just not very good at golf. Sorry buddy.” Woods, ever the trash talker, is pretty much guaranteed to pile on, and McIlroy can fire right back.

This could really get the teasing juices flowing early.

Point to Rory’s engagement break off as it pertains to Tiger

If you don’t think Fallon would go here, remember that he openly addressed Woods’ scandal in their previous interview and mockingly thanked Tiger for all of the comedy his embarrassment and pain engendered.

Fallon could go a couple different ways here. Maybe the host suggests that McIlroy’s decision to end his engagement could have served as a blueprint for Woods—whose marital troubles were plenty public. Or possibly just a snide remark could do the trick, something along the lines of “Man, Rory you dodged a bullet. Am I right, Tiger?”

This may be an awkward discussion point, but awkwardness can greatly aid comedy. This would be a prime example of that concept.

Offer Rory and Tiger an additional “PGA Championship superlative”

Earlier this week Fallon did a bit called “Tonight Show Superlatives: 2014 PGA Championship,” where the host brought up professional golfers’ official PGA Tour photos and gave the players intentionally ridiculous “Most likely to…” tags.

It was some hilarious material that didn’t spare Woods or McIlroy, nailed Chesson Hadley and absolutely annihilated Kevin Stadler (joining those USGA bullies in picking on Stads’ weight).

So, why not give the Woods and McIlroy another “superlative”? People loved this gag, and there’s the added element of the subjects being at hand to offer live reactions.

This stuff pretty much writes itself.

Show the duo a compilation of their 2014 highlights, omitting Tiger

A mean-spirited ploy for sure, but evidence already suggests that such a tactic yields great laughs.

The way I see it, begin the video with Rory’s best on-course moments of the year, make it clear that you are about to transition to Tiger, and at that moment, abruptly cut the video.

That should lead to maximum laughter and a way by which McIlroy can goad on Woods.

Delve into the age and health gap between Tiger and Rory

Obviously Woods has struggled massively with injuries, and he’s getting to the age where golfers tend to start a steep decline. Rory, on the other hand, is young, spry and not hampered by significant physical ailments.

In this way, Fallon could poke fun at Woods for being a battered old man next to his robust and intact contemporary. Maybe McIlroy chimes in too, but whatever the case, this is an additional chance for some quality gut-busting.

Compare Tiger’s recent withdrawals to Rory’s history in this department

This is a way to use something currently relevant to point back to McIlroy’s “toothache” episode at the Honda Classic in 2013.

There’s no shortage of potential verbal sparring on this topic. Considering the extensive wit Fallon has employed throughout his career, he can certainly supply an array of jokes at a golfer quitting mid-tournament due to “wisdom teeth pain.”

Celebrity games:

FallonGames

Tiger Woods video game

OK, not incredibly creative, but the precedent is too strong here to delve on that point. Woods has competed in his own video game against Fallon twice on TV now, and both occasions proved quite entertaining.

There was the first time when Fallon won and gave us some television gold with him demonstrably celebrating his triumph. On the rematch, Woods won, but only because Fallon was hilariously awful, which was no less entertaining.

We’re two-for-two here then. A third installment should produce similar comedy.

Imitating other professional golfers

Athletes impersonating their peers is a very bankable comedic concept, as fans are more than eager to see these sportsmen unleash their personality.

So let’s give Woods and McIlroy a chance to show off their chops in this area. There’s no dearth of heckling between players in the professional golfing ranks, which means the duo must have some sort of practice in impressions of their fellow competitors.

The potential names that top the list here are Keegan Bradley and Jason Dufner, but any number of names could be the target of a fantastic imitation.

Lip-Synching Contest

Screen Shot 2014-08-16 at 6.33.21 PM

Fallon has frequently carried out lip-synching contests with his guests. Maybe Tiger and Rory join that group?

If you’re looking for the most ideal songs for entertainment purposes here, there are plenty of options. Among the ones that come to mind for me are Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” (Adele’s music helped McIlroy during his triumph at the 2011 U.S. Open) and Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You” (Already been done in a Fallon lip-synch off but Boyz II Men is one of Woods’ favorite groups). Hootie and the Blowfish played at Woods’ wedding, and John Daly has performed with them. Their single “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (with Daly if possible) would fit in well. Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” would be intriguing as well, for obvious reasons.

And of course we have to ponder what it would be like for Woods and McIlroy to sing either of The Golf Boys’ musical masterpieces. In a word, epic.

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Kevin's fascination with the game goes back as long as he can remember. He has written about the sport on the junior, college and professional levels and hopes to cover its proceedings in some capacity for as long as possible. His main area of expertise is the PGA Tour, which is his primary focus for GolfWRX. Kevin is currently a student at Northwestern University, but he will be out into the workforce soon enough. You can find his golf tidbits and other sports-related babble on Twitter @KevinCasey19. GolfWRX Writer of the Month: September 2014

15 Comments

15 Comments

  1. nikkyd

    Aug 18, 2014 at 2:07 pm

    All i know is….jimmy fallon is a great entertainer /singer/guitarist…..but is not a good nightshow host. Imho

    • Kevin Casey

      Aug 18, 2014 at 2:23 pm

      I’ve never been a big Fallon fan, but he’s pleasantly surprised me as a Tonight Show host. He’s been better than I thought, although it definitely helps that Lorne Michaels is his EP. Just my opinion though.

      Out of curiosity who would your ideal Tonight Show host be at the moment? Do you wish they had let Conan had his own long run or is there someone else you have in mind?

  2. josh

    Aug 18, 2014 at 2:00 pm

    Talk to tiger about taking a 15 year break to heal up then start the champions tour

    • Kevin Casey

      Aug 18, 2014 at 2:19 pm

      I like that line of thinking. Kind of goes with what I said about delving into the age and health gap between Rory and Tiger. Any old jokes Fallon can throw at Tiger (and for Rory to pile in on potentially) are worthwhile in my opinion.

  3. Mark

    Aug 18, 2014 at 5:53 am

    To Tiger: who’s career go down hill quicker yours or Lindsay’s ?

    To Rory: Was Caroline trying to smash & grab your recent Nike deal ?

  4. Desmond

    Aug 17, 2014 at 3:49 pm

    Both should discuss blondes who follow them on the course… and how they should avoid them.

  5. HackerDav31

    Aug 17, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    This is great for golf… regardless of the topics at hand…

  6. Chris

    Aug 17, 2014 at 11:53 am

    Rory to Tiger – Dawg, Dump the Man Bag Swing

  7. Pingback: What should Tiger, Rory and Fallon talk about? | Spacetimeandi.com

  8. Nath

    Aug 16, 2014 at 10:04 pm

    Ahh, I wonder if they will talk about a nike equipment release. Seeing Nike website has “08/18/14 THERE’S ALLWAYS BETTER” . Hmm coincidence maybe, maybe not

    • bradford

      Aug 18, 2014 at 7:46 am

      Not seeing this on Nike’s site?

      • Inthejonzone

        Aug 18, 2014 at 1:14 pm

        Look at “the oven”

        • bradford

          Aug 18, 2014 at 1:23 pm

          Yup, and thanks–now I’m hooked on trying to figure out what they’re holding out on. I guess we’ll know in a bit.

          • rgb

            Aug 18, 2014 at 10:40 pm

            Perhaps its

            Nike Golf Unveils Vapor Iron Franchise: The Iron Reimagined

            Insights from Nike Golf athletes inspire engineering and design for perfected precision and power.

            http://nikeinc.com/nike-golf/news/nike-golf-unveils-vapor-iron-franchise-the-iron-reimagined

          • rgb

            Aug 18, 2014 at 10:41 pm

            The Vapor irons will be available on nike.com and at select retailers Oct. 31.

            Vapor Pro Irons

            Specifications: 3-PW, True Temper Dynamic Gold X/S/R (RH/LH);

            MSRP: $1199.99 3-PW Steel

            Vapor Pro Combo Irons

            Specifications: 3-AW; True Temper DG Pro (RH/LH)

            MSRP $1,319.99 4-AW Steel

            Vapor Speed Irons

            Specifications: 3-SW; True Temper Dynalite 105 Steel S/R (RH/LH); MRC Fubuki Z graphite S/R/A/W

            MSRP: $959.99 4-AW Steel; $1079.99 4-AW Graphite; $944.99 5-PW Women’s

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News

Morning 9: 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour | Rory on possible return to policy board

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Friday morning, golf fans, may a bountiful weekend of golf be in store for you!

1. 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour

KFT staff report…”Frankie Capan III went crazy low Thursday on the Korn Ferry Tour. Nearly in record fashion.”

  • “Capan carded 13-under 58 in the opening round of the Veritex Bank Championship, matching the second lowest score in Korn Ferry Tour history. He fell one shy of Cristobal Del Solar’s record 57, set at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard earlier this year, but it was a heck of a show nonetheless.”
  • “The Minnesota native played an eight-hole stretch in 9-under Thursday, following an eagle at the par-5 ninth with seven straight birdies to begin the back nine at par-71 Texas Rangers Golf Club. He “cooled off” with a two-putt par at the long par-4 17th hole. He arrived at the par-5 18th hole at 13 under for the round, but he found a fairway bunker off the tee, laid up to 134 yards and missed his third shot left of the green. He chipped to 7 feet and drained the par putt to match the Korn Ferry Tour’s second-lowest score of 58, carded by Stephan Jaeger in the opening round of the 2016 Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae.”
Full piece.

2. Team McIlowery starts strong

Paul Hodowanic for PGATour.com…”Late Thursday afternoon in New Orleans, Rory McIlroy rested his head on Shane Lowry’s shoulder.”

  • “It wasn’t the typical post-round moment, but this isn’t the typical event. McIlroy and Lowry teamed up for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the PGA TOUR’s lone team event, and the all-Irish duo put on a show. Sporting matching pink-on-navy getups, McIlroy/Lowry opened in a best-ball 11-under 61 in Thursday’s Four-ball format at TPC Louisiana.”
  • “This partnership might have stemmed from a boozy brunch last fall, but their opening-round performance at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans gave the field a sobering reminder: They’ll be tough to top.”
Full piece.

3. LPGA Tour: Grace Kim in front

AP report…”Grace Kim shot a 7-under 64 at Wilshire Country Club to take the first-round lead Thursday in the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship.”

  • “Playing in the morning session, the 23-year-old Australian capped her bogey-free round with a chip-in birdie on the par-3 18th.”
  • “Well, I chunked my tee shot on the last hole 20 meters short and then I chipped it in it,” Kim said. “I think that’s pretty cool, in front of everyone
Full piece.

4. McIlroy on rejoining policy board

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Rory McIlroy said Wednesday that he is willing to rejoin the PGA Tour policy board if the other player directors want him.”

  • “As first reported by the Guardian, Webb Simpson has submitted a letter stating that he’d like to resign from the board, but only if his vacant seat is filled by McIlroy, who stepped down last fall because of the toll it had taken on him professionally and personally.”
  • “Five months later, what has changed?”
  • “I think I can be helpful,” McIlroy said Wednesday ahead of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he is partnering with Shane Lowry. “I don’t think there’s been much progress made in the last eight months, and I was hopeful that there would be. I think I could be helpful to the process. But only if people want me involved, I guess.”
Full piece.

5. Charlie Woods shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier

Golfweek’s Cameron Jourdan…”Charlie Woods is going to have to wait to play in the U.S. Open.”

“The 15-year-old son of Tiger Woods played Thursday in local qualifying for the United States Golf Association’s national championship, set for June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. Charlie played at The Legacy Golf & Tennis Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and he shot 9-over 81.”

“Charlie’s round featured a bogey on his opening hole, the par-4 first. He then doubled the par-5 second. A pair of pars followed before his lone birdie on the front, but another double the next hole, the par-4 sixth, had him turn in 4-over 40.”

Full piece.

6. Photos from the Zurich Classic

GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.

Check out all our photos at the link below!

Full piece.
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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

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GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.

As usual, general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums — including some pretty spicy custom putters and headcovers — await your viewing.

Be sure to check back for more photos from the Big Easy, as we’ll continue to update this page with additional galleries throughout the week.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying about our photos from the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in the forums.

 

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Morning 9: Tiger’s TGL teammates | Woosnam’s criticism of Cantlay | Rory’s return to tour policy board

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour heads to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic.

1. 15-year-old finishes top 20 on KFT

Jay Coffin for Golf Digest…”During a week when most eyes were on Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, the 15-year-old lefty finished off an incredible week with a five-under 66 in the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood Ranch in Florida.”

  • “After opening with 68-66-70, Russell finished at 14-under-par total to tie for 20th place. The finish in which he jumped 28 positions on the leaderboard on the final day, gives him an exemption into next week’s Veritex Bank Championship at Rangers Park in Arlington, Texas. He’s the youngest player to finish inside the top 20 on the PGA of Korn Ferry tours, according to records that go back to 1983.”
Full piece.

2. Understandably, Nelly WDs

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Nelly Korda’s bid for a record-setting sixth consecutive win will have to wait a few weeks.”

  • “A day after capturing the Chevron Championship during a marathon final round in Houston, Korda announced on social media that she was withdrawing from this week’s JM Eagle LA Championship.”
  • “It was not an easy decision,” she wrote. “After the unbelievable week at the Chevron and grinding through the mental and physical challenges of four events in the past five weeks, I am definitely feeling exhausted. With so much still to come throughout 2024, I feel I need to listen to my body and get some rest, so I can be ready for the remainder of the season.”
Full piece.

3. Scheffler’s impressive No. 1 feat

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”After Scheffler’s victory Monday morning at the RBC Heritage, Scheffler upped his points average to 15.016 and increased his advantage in the Official World Golf Ranking over No. 2 Rory McIlroy to more than double McIlroy’s 7.365 average, meaning Scheffler is ranked further ahead of No. 2 than No. 2 is ahead of the last-ranked player.”

  • “The last time a No. 1 player had a greater points average was Woods, who was at 15.4564 on Dec. 6, 2009. But Woods was less than seven average points ahead of No. 2 Phil Mickelson at the time. Earlier that year, Woods was 7.735 ahead of Mickelson, which is the last time the gap between Nos. 1 and 2 was greater than Scheffler’s current 7.651 advantage.”
Full piece.

4. Zurich field notes

PGATour.com’s Adam Stanley…”Rory McIlroy will make his tournament debut alongside good pal, Ryder Cup teammate, and Irishman Shane Lowry – a duo that was firmed up during a celebratory lunch after the Ryder Cup last fall… Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele will try to reprise their 2022 win here. Cantlay and Schauffele have both the Foursomes and Four-ball scoring records at this event… Davis Riley and Nick Hardy will defend their 2023 title. No team has gone back-to-back… Three sets of brothers (and two sets of twins!) will play together with twins Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard and Parker and Pierceson Coody in the field along with Alex and Matt Fitzpatrick. Alex Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Højgaard are sponsor invites…”

  • “Billy Horschel, who won last week at the Corales Puntacana Championship, will be without his previous partner Sam Burns, as Burns and his wife are expecting their first child any day. Horschel will instead be paired with fellow University of Florida alum Tyson Alexander. Horschel has won the Zurich Classic when it was both an individual and team event… Other notable pairings include Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Sahith Theegala and Will Zalatoris, and Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin. The Canadian duo finished runner-up a year ago and would like nothing more than to show Presidents Cup International Team captain Mike Weir how well they play together… Steve Stricker will play his second TOUR event this season (after earning his way into THE PLAYERS Championship), teaming up with Matt Kuchar.”
Full piece.

5. Tiger’s teammates

Field Level Media report…”Tiger Woods announced Monday that Max Homa, Tom Kim and Kevin Kisner have joined his Jupiter Links GC TGL team.”

  • “The virtual golf league headed by Woods and Rory McIlroy will begin its inaugural season next January. Woods also unveiled the team’s logo.”
  • “I have already shared my excitement and optimism for TGL as a league and product,” said Woods. “Now that we have finalized our roster with a team of world-class golfers, I am even more confident that this group will proudly represent the Jupiter (Fla.) area and connect with our fans for years to come.”
Full piece.

6. Woosnam questions Cantlay’s decision

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After the horn sounded to suspend play due to darkness, Cantlay, who’s ball was in the fairway on the 18th hole, had a decision to make. With over 200 yards into the green and extreme winds working against the shot, conventional wisdom would be to wait until Monday morning to hit the shot.”

  • “On the other hand, if he could finish the hole, he may just want to get the event over with so he could get out of Hilton Head.”
  • “Curiously, Cantlay chose neither of those options. After hitting 3-wood into the green, and still coming up short, the former FedEx Cup champion chose to mark his ball and chip and putt on Monday morning.”
  • “Ian Woosnam, who was watching from home, took to X to give his thoughts on Cantlay’s decision making.”
  • “Cantlay would end up getting up and down for par when play resumed at 8:00 am Monday morning.”
Full piece.

7. JT on Scheffler’s “weird” equipment choice

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After Justin Thomas’ third round of the RBC Heritage, the two-time major champion went in the broadcast booth alongside the CBS crew.”

  • “While Thomas was watching Scottie Scheffler play on the back nine of his third round, he wondered aloud why Scottie uses high-numbered golf balls.”
  • “Does anybody else think it’s weird that Scottie uses high numbers? I don’t know if I’ve ever seen an elite player use high-numbered golf balls.”
  • “Amanda Balionis who was on the grounds chimed in, reporting that analyst Dottie Pepper had wondered the same thing earlier that day.”
  • “I’ve been going about this wrong my whole life,” Thomas jokingly said.
Full piece.

8. Rory to rejoin PGA Tour policy board

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”Four-time major championship winner Rory McIlroy is poised to return to the PGA Tour’s policy board, pending a vote by the board, which could come as early as this week, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.”

  • “One of the PGA Tour’s most vocal supporters during its three-year battle with LIV Golf, McIlroy abruptly resigned as a player director on the tour’s influential policy board in November.”
  • “He is expected to replace policy board player director Webb Simpson, who intends to step away before his two-year term expires in 2025.”
Full piece.

9. Weir names Presidents Cup assistants

PGA Tour report…”International Team Captain Mike Weir announced Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas as captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will be played at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Canada, Sept. 24-29.

Full piece.
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